AMON AMARTH BRING FORTH THE GREAT HEATHEN ARMY
Over the course of the last few decades, Amon Amarth has become one of the metal world’s most recognizable bands. This is highlighted by the fact that they were picked to support Slayer on their last ever tour. And been on other major tours and festival bills.
It’s hard to fathom that Amon Amarth have been around for thirty years at this point. I first heard about them thanks to the last iteration of Headbangers Ball. They would play the video for the title track off of 2008’s Twilight Of The Thundergod. This was introduction to Viking metal.
Although many bands have come after, very few can do what Amon Amarth does without coming off as just a schlocky cos-playing copy-cat band. If you’ve remotely delved into Viking, Pagan, Power or Black Metal, you know what I’m referring to.
This is album number twelve, their first since 2019’s Berserker.
Current Judas Priest guitarist Andy Sneap is the man responsible for producing the album.
The band is currently on Metal Blade Records.
The band got together thirty years ago in 1992.
Amon Amarth is back with The Great Heathen Army, their twelfth studio album. They were in the middle of promoting 2019’s Berserker, when the pandemic hit. So instead of just going home and doing nothing, they started to work on new material that would end up on the album.
I’m not going to kid anyone, any die-hard of Amon Amarth is going to check out The Great Heathen Army. The album mixes together a lot of what the band has done in the past, and added some new elements as well. Heavy punishing themes, Vikings, battles and the like. This the kind of music that is custom tailored to get you fired up. It’s what you want to hear as you’re charging onto the field, about to do some reps in the gym, about to kick it into gear before starting your work day, pump you up for a meeting or when you need something to kick you in the ass to keep you going.
At times you have lead singer Johan Hegg doing his thing over music that was flat out influenced by NWOBHM bands. Other times it’s as alluded to above, just straight on Amon Amarth. There is a reason why so many people see them as the premier metal band of the Viking sub-genre.
If you’ve ever been on the fence about the band, The Great Heathen Army is the album you should check out. A little spoiler alert, the track “Saxons And Vikings” has a guest appearance from some chaps from Barnsley. That may help ease you into the rest of the album.
Amon Amarth took advantage of their forced downtime, and like many other bands have crafted what is arguably one of their best albums. The Great Heathen Army is a great place to jump on with the band, and then go back and check out their back catalogue.
Here is Amon Amarth with the title track off of their latest album The Great Heathen Army.
Interested in checking out The Great Heathen Army by Amon Amarth before picking the album up?
Pick your poison, check out the album on either Spotify or Apple Music here.
HERE ARE SOME OTHER NEW RELEASES THAT MAY INTEREST YOU
Soulfly – Totem
Dub War – Westgate Under Fire
Toxik – Dis Morta
Andy McCoy – Jukebox Junkie
H.E.A.T – Force Majeure
Psycroptic – Divine Council
In Hearts Wake – Green Is The New Black Sountrack
Liminal Shroud – All Virtues Ablaze
Generation Radio – Generation Radio
Nordic Union – Animalistic
Einherjer – Norse And Dangerous (Live… From The Land Of Legends)
Stormbound – December
Odd Circus – Deus
Grave Bathers – Rock ‘N’ Roll Fetish
Fearsore – Bloedwyrx
EPs
Tom Hunting – Hunting Party
REISSUES
Tool – Fear Inoculum Vinyl
Def Leppard – Adrenalize Vinyl
Def Leppard – Euphoria Vinyl
Bullet For My Valentine – Bullet For My Valentine Deluxe Edition
Static-X – Start A War Vinyl
Dog Eat Dog – Play Games Vinyl
LIVE ALBUMS
Vanden Plas – Live & Immortal
Levitation – Windhand Live
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